Fala Atelier Completes Cookie Cutter Retreat in Portuguese Hillside
Three semicircular concrete volumes integrate into the landscape to host digital nomads.
1Hillside Architectural Integration
Porto-based studio Fala Atelier has completed the Cookie Cutter Retreat in Sobral de Monte Agraço, Portugal. The project features three semicircular concrete volumes partially embedded into a hillside. Designed for digital nomads, the structures include a private house, a shared dwelling, and an adaptable hall, all featuring distinctive blue chimneys.
2Geometric Design Strategy
The three buildings are scaled as small, medium, and large versions of the same geometric form. They share a consistent material palette and dimension ratios, yet maintain freedom in their site placement. Grass roofs allow the structures to blend into the natural landscape, with only windows and chimneys announcing their presence.
3Internal Spatial Configuration
Each volume is bisected by a diagonal wall that separates public and private zones. This layout creates a contrast between dense collections of small rooms and expansive, open areas. The design utilizes round columns and tilted metal canopies to define the structural frame while maintaining a fluid relationship with the terrain.
4Architectural Influences Cited
Fala Atelier incorporated design elements inspired by architects Frank Gehry, Toyo Ito, and Alvaro Siza. The studio treated fragments of these architects' historical plans as objets trouvés, integrating their internal formal relationships into the retreat. This approach creates a dialogue between contemporary construction and established modernist architectural vocabularies within the site.
5Materiality and Color Palette
The interior spaces utilize a consistent visual language across all three buildings. Walls are finished with a combination of white paint and tile cladding, accented by blue and fluorescent-yellow details. This repetition ensures that while each volume serves a different function, they remain recognizable as part of the same family.
6Versatile Hall Functionality
The largest of the three volumes serves as an adaptable hall designed to host a wide variety of activities. Its front section features an open-plan layout, while private areas are tucked behind the diagonal wall. This flexibility supports the needs of digital nomads requiring both communal workspace and private living quarters.
7Contextual Portuguese Architecture
The project joins a growing list of notable architectural interventions in Portugal. Other recent works include a silence pavilion by Corkinho in Alentejo and a warehouse-style housing block in Lisbon by António Costa Lima Arquitectos. These projects highlight a trend of experimental, site-specific design currently emerging throughout the Portuguese landscape.
8Design Philosophy Impact
By avoiding a rigid overall composition, Fala Atelier allows the landscape to dictate the retreat's flow. The project demonstrates how consistent geometric and material choices can unify disparate structures. This design approach provides a functional yet playful environment that balances the needs of nomadic residents with the surrounding natural topography.
Original article: Dezeen — Fala Atelier Completes Cookie Cutter Retreat in Portuguese Hillside